Coco: Hey, everyone!~ How are we this evening? I hope the answer is a positive one, but if it isn't, I hope things get better for you soon.
I've been feeling in a very One Piece mood lately. I've been rewatching some arcs in between getting caught up to the manga, and everything that's been going on has me so excited to write One Piece. I was watching the Zou Arc last night and I want to get to that arc as soon as possible just because I want to write Wren enjoying the cute Mink Tribe XD But it's like 700-800 episodes away...so I need to get writing XD
I feel like the Alabasta Arc will be wrapped up soon and if I get by it and get to the Sky Island Arc it will be the farthest, I've ever gotten in Wren's story. And I want to reach that milestone even if it kills me...though hopefully it won't...anyway, shall we get started on the chapter? :D
Ace watched Wren as her entire posture changed while she took the picture of the man into her grasp once again.
"So, this Scorpion character is claiming to have taken down Teach, hmm?" Wren questioned as her fingers tightened on the photo. "That is a bold claim. It does make me wonder just what kind of man he is."
She then gave the photograph back to the children with the older one putting it away.
"I don't know, Ace." Usopp said. "He doesn't look the type. Do you really think this is the guy who beat up Blackbeard?"
"Not sure." Ace said. "The only way to find out is to meet him face to face."
"Ace?" Chip asked. "Wait, you don't mean the really…"
"The real Fire Fist Ace." Dip finished saying.
Suddenly Ace and Wren both sensed three new presences, and one didn't feel human like. Ace stood up on the rock he had been crouched on as Wren stood more alert.
"What is it?" Usopp asked.
"There's two." Ace said. "…and maybe a bird."
Wren closed her eyes concentrating harder on trying to use her haki to distinguish the presences she was feeling.
"Yes, you seem to be right. The bird seems to be large as well." Wren said.
The others exchanged a look of confusion since they had no idea what Ace and Wren were talking about. However, Zoro narrowed his eyes a bit because this has happened with Wren before. She would sometimes sense something before it came into view and could tell the others what it was or who and how many. He always wondered if she just had really good instincts, but he's starting to believe it's something a little more. Chopper's nose then twitched as he picked up three scents of what Ace and Wren were sensing. Havel, who also joined the group, stood with his hackles raising and a small growl forming in his throat.
"Chopper? Havel?" Nami asked.
"They're here." Chopper said.
A small dust cloud appeared over a sand dune before an ostrich came into view with a man riding on it. It seemed as if there was a person behind him as well, but his face was blocked. However, Wren had a feeling she knew who else was on the large bird.
"I've come for you, Fire Fist Ace!" The man said. "I'm the Scorpion. A true and indomitable hero! I traveled a great distance to challenge you! I expect a fight; fair and square!"
Wren's brow quirked because she saw how the man's legs shook. He says he wants a fight. However, his body language says otherwise.
"It's him…that's Scorpion." Vivi said.
The second person on the bird leaned over to be seen, and Wren wasn't surprised to see it was Luffy.
"Oh goody, you're all here!" Luffy said.
"LUFFY?!" Vivi and the crew—besides Wren—exclaimed.
"Why are you riding with the Scorpion?!" Sanji demanded. "He's the enemy!"
Wren has come to understand not to be very surprised by situations that seem unexplainable when it comes to this crew, so she just tilted her head curiously. She wondered how this was going to go. She took note that the mighty Scorpion seemed nervous, which had her certain that no one like him could have taken on Teach. Even if the large man was a coward, he was strong. Not as strong as the Whitebeard commanders, but he had definitely been a strong member of the crew though he worked underhanded most of the time to claim most of his victories in battles.
"Hey, Scorpion, what's wrong?" Luffy asked the man.
Scorpion seemed to snap out of his stupor when Luffy asked that question before he started laughing.
"Hahaha! So sorry, but this is the day that your luck runs out!" Scorpion boasted. "All those heroic songs and tales your supporters flatter you with ends today."
Wren let out a small scoff between her lips as she turned to look at Ace with a quirked brow.
"Heroic songs? Supporters?" Wren repeated flippantly. "I had no idea you have an esteemed reputation and large fan base, Ace."
Ace chuckled as he placed one hand on top of his hat, and the other on his waist.
"No, please turn back." Wren heard Dip plead.
She glanced at the boy then back at the Scorpion as Luffy was getting excited about this fight.
"Ace, this is a serious fight, so don't pull any punches!" Luffy called out.
"I wasn't planning to!" Ace retorted loudly. "Before we fight there's something I wanna know!"
Scorpion ignored Ace and his question and had his bird charge forward to attack. Luffy jumped off the bird to get out of the way as Ace rushed forward to engage Scorpion in battle. Wren sat back down on the rock to get comfortable to watch this fight. Though she is certain it won't last long. Havel, who calmed down, moved into her lap to get comfortable as well.
"You're finished!" Scorpion shouted then fired an iron net from the gun.
Ace just chuckled not looking worried as the net started going around him. He let out a blast of fire that sent the iron net away from him, and back towards Scorpion. He hit the ground as the net incased him while crying out in pain since the net was hot from Ace's fire.
"Whoa, Ace just threw the net back at him!" Usopp exclaimed.
Wren sighed not looking very impressed as the older man rolled around on the ground trying to get the net off. Once Scorpion got the net off of him, his clothes and parts of his skin were singed from the hot net. He looked back at Ace who still had flames licking on his shoulders.
"Hahahaha!" Scorpion laughed despite the situation. "I guess I should be thankful. If defeating you were easy, it wouldn't be much of a victory!"
'He's upbeat, I will give him that,' Wren thought as she absently stroked Havel's fur.
"Oh yeah, well, you have some skills yourself." Ace said.
Scorpion got back onto his feet as everyone continued to watch the fight happening in front of them.
"I'm glad you approve because this fight isn't over!" Scorpion declared. "Popo, the Prescorraci Rifle!"
The ostrich then ran by to place something in front of Scorpion. Scorpion put together this odd-looking rifle of his as he got ready for another attack.
"A…what rifle?" Usopp asked.
"Does it even work?" Sanji asked.
"I suppose we'll see in a moment." Wren replied.
Scorpion started running forward telling them not to be fooled by the gun's appearance. He then shot at Ace who dodged easily, and Wren's brow quirked when acid was shot out of the gun. And the acid was so strong that it melted the rock it had landed on.
"Hmm, interesting." She hummed.
Ace dodged Scorpion again by jumping high into the air to land behind the bounty hunter. Scorpion whirled around to start shooting again, but Ace dodged every time before getting right in front of Scorpion to punch him right in the gut. The older man stumbled forward before falling to the sandy ground into the dip of the dune.
"It was a nice try, but you never stood a chance, my friend." Usopp said.
Wren frowned supposing that was that. The Scorpion was just all talk with nothing to back up his claims. It honestly irked her even more than before.
"I suspected as much." Ace said. "You lied about beating Blackbeard, didn't you? You figured using his name would draw me out into the open. Am I right?"
Scorpion let out a weak chuckle as his hands clenched the sand in front of him.
"That's right." He confessed as he struggled to get up. "A clever deceit. I say that the first round was a draw."
"I feel as if the poor man is confused," Wren commented.
He barely looked if he could even get up and Ace was standing there not even out of breath.
"Now it's time to get serious." He said as he rolled over onto his back.
"STOP!" Dip suddenly called out.
Wren and the others looked as Dip and his brother got up from their hiding place by the rock.
"You can't beat him, father!" Dip said.
The others—but Wren—looked surprised when the boy called the Scorpion father, but Wren wasn't too shocked. She figured if two boys had business with a bounty hunter it was because they were of some relation.
"Did he say father?" Luffy asked.
Scorpion coughed from his place on the ground before lifting his head to look towards the boys.
"Son, I'll be fine." He said.
He was then surprised as the boys ran towards him then slid down the sand dune.
"Stop the fight!" Dip shouted.
They stopped in front of Scorpion who was staring at the two of them with wide eyes.
"Chip, Dip." He said.
"Father!" They exclaimed in unison.
"You don't have to do this." Dip said. "Fire Fist Ace is too powerful!"
Scorpion reached up to place a hand on Dip's head as he looked at his two sons.
"What are you two doing here?" Scorpion asked them. "Why aren't you at home? Why did you leave the badlands?"
"Please, we understand now what you've been trying to teach us." Dip said. "This battle is too much for you! You've gotta come home!"
Dip and Chip both just wanted their father back where it was safe and sound, so they didn't have to worry about him, and so they could be a family again.
"Don't be silly." Scorpion said as he chuckled. "Remember, boys, I'm the world's greatest bounty hunter after all. If I've said it once I've said it a million times. I've fought the meanest and toughest men around, and I bested everyone."
"Dad, you don't have to lie." Chip said bluntly.
Scorpion seemed surprised by the blunt remark at first before he let out a laugh of amusement.
"You found me out." Scorpion said as he grinned slightly. "The truth is I'm a terrible liar, and a terrible father to boot. But there is one thing that's true, and if you remember nothing else I've taught you, remember this: even the most insignificant person can rise up to challenge the greatest hero if he believes in himself. That is the entire reason I did this…to show you…to show you boys to follow your hearts' desires. Men need dreams. Goals that burn deep inside them like an eternal flame. That is what sustains us all! Ambition! Always challenge what others say can't be done. Even if it seems impossible believe and life will deliver paradise."
He then gave a slight laugh as he continued to pat Dip on top of the head affectionately.
"Forgive me, the only way to get you to see this truth was to put my life on the line." Scorpion said as he started to get up. "My sons…always follow your heart."
Scorpion then turned to face Ace once more while ignoring Dip who asked him to wait. Wren continued to watch on with the others with an unreadable expression on her face, which made it impossible to guess what she was thinking.
"Watch and learn!" He said. "Witness your father's unconquerable spirit."
He then started up the sand hill towards Ace, as a slight frown appeared on Wren's face.
'This man can't be serious?' She thought. 'There is no way he can win. While his unrelenting spirit is admirable it does nothing for him if it only gets him killed.'
"So long as I hold onto my dream, I won't back down." Scorpion said then spoke directly to Ace. "Do you hear me, Ace?! Popo, the bazooka!"
The ostrich, Popo, ran by while placing a bazooka at Scorpion's feet as he passed. Scorpion placed the bazooka on his shoulder as he took aim at Ace.
"Prepare yourself." Scorpion said. "This is in the end."
He lit the wick at the end of the bazooka while completely serious about finishing this self-given mission of his. However, his aim was thrown off when those boys grabbed a hold of him to stop him. They pleaded at him to come home, and it seemed their words got to him…because he completely forgot about the bazooka being ready to fire…and dropped it to the ground to hug his sons.
Before she even realized what she was doing, Wren was on her feet and Havel, who was startled, was quickly trying to scramble out of the way. Wren hurried forward, so fast that her friends didn't realize she passed them until the bazooka hit the side of one of the large rock pillars, which set it off.
"Wren-chan!" Sanji exclaimed while rushing to stop her as the rocks started falling towards Scorpion and his sons.
Wren slid down the sand dune quickly with Ace and Luffy's eyes widening when they saw her. Wren had her hand on the hilt of her sword as she prepared to draw it.
"Wren!" Sanji shouted as he went to slid into the dune as well.
"Sanji, stay back!" Luffy ordered as he ran forward ready to attack though the blonde ignored his captain, but it didn't seem as if he'd be fast enough.
"No, I've got it!" Ace said, which had Luffy stopping. "Fire Fist!"
A huge wave of fire shot out from his fist to knock back the rocks, but the force of the flame destroyed the large rock pillar as well. Wren looked calmly up at the fire, and when she saw some rocks still falling down towards her, Scorpion, and the boys, she drew her sword.
"1,000 wails!" She shouted then sliced upwards.
A thousand screaming voices cut through the air as the rocks were being cut up into smaller slabs that fell away from them. Zoro stared in surprise at the attack. He had no idea Wren had so much skill with a sword. Dust entered the air as the rocks hit the sand. As it cleared, Wren sheathed her sword and Scorpion and his sons looked up at her with wide eyes. She frowned down at the father.
"You humans…letting your emotions get the best of you is what usually gets you killed," She scoffed as Sanji, Ace, and Luffy hurried over to see if she and the others were alright.
"Wren-chan, are you alright?" Sanji asked hurrying to her side.
He gently grasped her shoulders while looking over her for any sign of injury.
"I'm alright." Wren said. "Now shall we move on from this ridiculousness? Before someone else almost dies."
As the sun was setting, Wren stood with the Straw Hats and Vivi as they were seeing Ace off.
"You're not really going to leave us, Ace, are you?" Chopper asked.
He tilted his head to the side as he gazed up at the man unhappily. He didn't want the pirate to go. Havel, who was beside him, didn't seem to share the sentiment as the cat merely yawned.
"Yep, seeing how it's been confirmed that Blackbeard isn't in Alabasta I have no reason to stick around." Ace said.
"You sure?" Luffy asked.
"Any idea where you'll be heading next?" Sanji asked.
He wasn't so sad to be seeing Ace leave since that meant the older man would be away from Wren.
"I have a lead to Blackbeard's whereabouts." Ace said as he grabbed a folded sheet of paper from his cloak. "Scorpion heard about a man who saw him out west. Guess we'll see. Luffy."
He threw the paper at Luffy who caught it with a look of confusion on his face.
"Hey, do yourself a favor and hold onto that." Ace said.
As the others looked just as confused as Luffy at Ace's gift to him, Wren's brow quirked. It's been a while since she's seen out of those. Outside her own at least.
"But it's just a scrap of paper." Luffy said.
"That scrap of paper will reunite us some day." Ace said.
Luffy didn't look very convinced as he unfolded the piece of paper to look at it curiously.
"You don't want it?" Ace said. "Then give it to Wren. I wouldn't mind being reunited with her instead."
He grinned over at Wren who gave him a deadpanned expression in return, which had him chuckling. Nami exchanged a glance with Vivi before they giggled a bit.
"You can already find me whenever you want, so I hardly see a reason for me to have the same method of finding you." Wren said. "Besides, if there actually comes a time, I seek out your company willingly, I have my ways of doing so."
Ace's grin widened as Sanji looked between the two with an upset expression on his face.
"Oh, I know," Ace said. "I remember that last time you found me."
He said this with a teasing wink, which had Wren narrowing her eyes at him in return.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Sanji demanded as he pulled at his hair. "Just how close are you two?!"
Ace just continued grinning as Wren wondered what had Sanji so worked up. She didn't understand his outburst at all.
"Nah, I'll keep it." Luffy said while ignoring Sanji's outburst.
"It's perfectly natural for a guy to worry about his bungling kid brother, right?" Ace asked. "He might be a bit much for you to handle, but please take good care of him for me."
He then looked towards Wren for a moment while looking as if he wanted to add something. However, he just shook his head as he looked away. Wren frowned at him wondering what was going on through his head.
"Luffy, when next we meet, we'll both be top pirates." Ace said.
"Right." Luffy said grinning.
"The top…you and me." Ace said grinning as well.
The group then turned their heads when Chip and Dip called out to them in farewell. Luffy waved goodbye as the others smiled. However, Wren's attention was brought back to Ace as he stepped closer to her. He gave her a serious look as he peered down into her face.
"Be sure to look out for yourself, Wren." Ace said. "I hope that this isn't the last time I see you."
Before Wren could retort that what happened to her was none of his business, Ace shocked her by putting his arm around her shoulders to bring her in for a brief hug. Her eyes widened while unsure what to do. The man has tried to hug her before, which she promptly put a stop to, but this…this was different.
"Stay safe." Ace said. "Whatever you're doing…I trust you completely. Just don't be reckless. I wouldn't be the only on sad if something tragic happened to you, Wren."
He let her go and left as the others were still distracted. Wren stood there with her visible eye still wide. She didn't even hear the others, who finally realized Ace was gone, as they asked where the fire man went. As Wren stood there, she had to wonder…
'Why does he care?' She wondered. 'Why do any of them care?'
—FLASHBACK—
"Wren-chan, how did you manage to get yourself hurt like this?" Thatch asked in concern as he and Ace watched Marco patch her up.
Wren, who was currently bandaged down both arms and around her head, sighed.
"It's nothing to worry about," Wren said. "I suppose I just bit off more than I can chew. More training will be required."
Ace looked at her like she was crazy as Marco cleaned a burn that was on her cheek. When they came across her boat, it was nearly destroyed. Ace was surprised it could still sail. Though one of their shipwrights was fixing it now to make it as good as new.
"These are some nasty burns, yoi." Marco said. "Iron?"
Wren nodded her head though then winced when he applied more medicine to the wound.
"Who were you fighting anyway?" Ace asked.
"A few slave traders," Wren lied. "When people know you're half fae they tend to come after you. Halflings sell more in auction after all."
She actually just finished sinking a bunch of government trade ships. And since she had to make sure not to use any attack or ability that would tip people off it was her doing the sinking. Things would look bad if a commander of a Shichibukai's crew was foiling the government's good work. So, Doflamingo asked her to be as discrete as possible, which made things harder on her. It was especially hard since most of their weapons were iron based, but she managed to sink all five ships.
"You shouldn't be traveling alone then, Wren-chan." Thatch said. "What if you can't fight them off next time?"
"Then I suppose I die," Wren said with a shrug. "I'm not too concerned about it."
All three men frowned at her and she winced again when Marco pressed a bandage against her cheek a little roughly.
"You should be, yoi." He scolded her.
"Yeah, Wren-chan, you can't be saying things like that." Thatch added. "We want you to live, you know, so you should be more careful."
Ace, whose frown deepened, nodded in agreement and Wren gave all three men a look of confusion.
"Why?" Wren questioned. "I do not mean any offense, but I honestly do not understand why you all are so kind to me. I'm not even fully human. Many people see me as an object. Something to get them wealthy or to use as a weapon. Or they see me as a monster and want me dead or at least gone. Yet you fools are always nice despite my standoffish nature."
At first the men didn't answer, but then Marco chuckled as he reached out to pat the girl on top of the head gently. An action that surprised her. What surprised her more is when she saw Ace and Thatch were grinning as well.
"You'll understand someday, yoi," Marco assured her. "Just listen to us and take better care of yourself, okay?"
—END OF FLASHBACK—
She still didn't understand, and she wasn't sure if she ever would. However, she couldn't do as they wished. She'd surely be dead by the end of her path, but as along as Doflamingo fell with her, it would all be worth it. Though she actually felt…guilty. She didn't want anyone saddened by her passing, so perhaps…she could try a little harder to keep herself alive in the end.
Coco: As you can see, the Whitebeard Pirates played a big role in Wren's past. And there's a reason I've been showing a lot of flashbacks with her and them interacting. It'll make more and more sense farther along, but they are an important part to her development. Especially Ace...even if she won't admit it XD
I can't remember if I mentioned this, but I actually thought of pairing her with Ace before. Or making a small love triangle. But I scraped that idea and picked my favorite love cook to be her partner instead XD Though I've seen a few of you feel as if Ace does have feelings for Wren. And well, you aren't wrong, but it is one-sided. Wren doesn't hate him like she claims but she doesn't see him in a romantic sense. In fact, this is girl is like really dense when it comes to love. I mean, she doesn't even recognize Sanji's jealousy for what it is. That's why she typically acts so coolly when he's having one of his jealous outbursts.
Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I don't want to make any promises, but a new chapter should be coming soon. Like, I said I want to get to the Minks ASAP. Just to have the excuse to write some Wren fluffiness as thoroughly enjoys her time on Zou with its cute residence XD
Hope you guys are safe and well. And I'll see you next time.
